Manila: The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Second Division has disqualified Pasig congressional candidate Christian Sia from the May 2025 elections following his inappropriate comments about single mothers during a campaign event last month.
According to Philippines News Agency, the decision was made in a 10-page resolution after the Comelec Task Force on Safeguarding Fear and Exclusion (SAFE) filed a petition against Sia. The resolution, which was promulgated on Wednesday and released to the media on Thursday, stated, “Wherefore, premises considered, the Commission (Second Division) resolved, as it hereby resolves to grant the Petition.” Sia has been disqualified from continuing his candidacy for the position of Member, House of Representatives, Lone Legislative District of Pasig City, for the 2025 National and Local Elections.
The resolution further mentioned that in the event of Sia winning the elections, his proclamation would be suspended until a final resolution of the case is reached. As the resolution was issued by a division, Sia retains the option to file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc.
The case arose from Sia’s remarks at a campaign sortie, where he made lewd comments about single mothers. Sia defended his statement as freedom of speech and claimed it did not discriminate against women. However, the Second Division deemed his remarks “laden with sexist, objectifying, and demeaning language” and highlighted a “lack of respect for human dignity and serious disregard for the standards of decency and ethical conduct expected of anyone seeking public office.” The division emphasized that these were not isolated incidents but deliberate public statements causing harm to women.
In a related development, the Comelec en banc rejected the motion for reconsideration filed by the Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) party-list concerning their disqualification. The Second Division had previously canceled the PBBM party-list’s registration for misrepresentation, as none of its 10 nominees hailed from Calabarzon, the region the party claimed to represent. The division cited the violation of the requirement that a regional party must have a regional constituency, stating, “Wherefore, premises considered, the Commission resolved, as it hereby resolves, to deny the Motion for Reconsideration of Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) Party-list dated 28 April 2025.”